Fluid pressure regulating apparatus



1.9 94- Ff frz. 3L-LL @EN 2,236,999

FLUID PRESSURL RL/XTING APPARATUS Filed Dit. 2lV 1936 WITNESSES: l 33 INVENTOR 6h70 @MZK/n M4 MMM( svgwdfg" ATTORNE Patented Apr. 1, 1941 FLUKE PRESSURE REGULATING AEFARATUS Finn H. Gulliksen, Wilkinsburg,

Westinghouse Electric Pa., assignor to & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a. corporation of ,Pennsylvania Application October 21, 1936, Serial No. 106,797

4 Claims.

My invention relates to velectric discharge apparatus and it has particular relation to apparatus for regulating lthe pressure of a fluid.

It is an object cf my invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and tractable system for con-- trolling the now of a fluid in such manner that the pressure thereof is maintained at a predetermined value.

Another object of my invention is to provide highly sensitive apparatus which shall respond to a deviation in the pressure of a fluid from a given value to compensate for the deviation.

An incidental object of my invention is to provide apparatus for detecting and amplifying the effect of minute motions of a body such as a diaphragm, for example.

More specifically stated, it is an object of my invention to provide apparatus for detecting deviations in pressure of a uid from a given value and for transmitting impulses to a compensating device to correct for the deviations.

According to my invention, I provide an electrical network including a pair of inductance coils, each of which is provided with a magnetic core. that their reactances counteract each other to normally balance :the network. An armature oi magnetic material is associated with the cores in such manner that its movement varies `the reactance of the coils. The armature is mechanically connected to respond to the variations in pressure of the uid.

When the pressure of the iluid deviates from a predetermined value, the armature moves unbalancing the network and producing electric current impulses dependent on the motion. The current impulses are amplified and transmitted to a magnetic system similar in its structure to the inductance coil arrangement. The armature of the latter system is connected to a valve which controls the flow of the uid.

The novel features 'that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself,

however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of a specic embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the single gure is a. diagrammatic view showing 4an embodiment of my invention.

The appara-tus shown in the drawing comprises a chamber` l to which the fluid is supplied through a suitable tube 3. On one tace the The coils are so connected in the network -g chamber I carries a resiliently suspended diaphragm 5 from which a rod l projects. At the end of the rod l a lever 9 is pivoted and the lever, in turn, carries an armature member i i pivotallyv supported at its lower end 53. When the pressure in the chamber i is at the desired value, the end of the rod at which the lever 9 is pivoted is xed and the armature l is in a xed position. As the pressure varies in one sense or the other, the rod l is moved outwardly or inwardly displacing the armature member.

The armature ll is located between a pair of core members l5 and Il of C section that are so disposed that their legs it are opposite to each other. A coil 2| is wound on the connecting member 23 of each core I5 and il. The coils 28 and it! are connected to each other at one terminal and the remaining terminals are connected to the terminal taps 20, of the secondary 25 of a transformer 2l, ythe primary 29 of which is supplied from a suitable alternating source. The secondary '25 is also provided with an intermediate tap Si located substantially at its electrical center and between the intermediate tap and the junction point 33 of the coils 2li and 2i, the primary 35 of a second transformer 37 is connected.

Preferably the cores l5 and i? and the inductance coils 28 and 2i are of substantially'identical structure and the armature il is disposed centrally between the cores so that normally the circuit including the secondary E5 of the supply transformer' 2l and the coils 2d and 2i is substantially 4balanced and the potential impressed across the primary of the `transformer 3l' is substantially zero. rlhe movement of the armature il in response to a movement oi the diaphragm 5 produces an increase in the inductance of one coil, say 2l), and a decrease in the inductance of the other, 2i, and this, in turn, results in the appearance of an alternating potential at the terminals of the primary 35 of the transformer' 3l.

The secondary 39 of the transformer 3l' is connected between the control electrodes li of a plurality of discharge devices i3 and Each of the discharge devices is provided with an anode 4l and a cathode Q9, in addition to the control electrode M. The discharge devices i3 and 45 are preferably of the high vacuum hot cathode type although gaseous hot cathode or even gaseous cold cathode discharge devices may be utilized.

Power is supplied to the discharge devices fti and 4l from a `transformer 5l, the primary 53 of which is energized from the sani-e source as To impress potentials between the anodes 41 y and the cathodes 49 of the discharge devices 43 and 45, the upper terminal E5 of a secondary section 61 of transformer 5I is connected to the movable tap 53 of resistor 59 while the lower terminal 81 of the section is connected to the center tap 1I of the secondary section 55. The resistor tap 63 is normally maintained at a central point intermediate the anodes 41 land is adjusted to compensate for differences in the discharge devices 43 and 45. Capacitors 13 and 15 are connected in each case between the anode 41 and the tap 53 to iilter out any alternating current ripples.

Under normal circumstances, the instantaneous value of the potential impressed by the transformer 5I between the tap 53 and the cathode 49 of one discharge device 43, say, is substantially the same as the instantaneous potential impressed between the tap and the cathode of the other discharge device 45. When the armature II is in the central position, the potential impressed between the control electrodes 4I ofthe discharge devices is substantially zero and the current transmitted through the discharge devices 43 and through the portion of the resistor 59 connected to its anode 41 and the resistor 51 is substantially the same as the current transmitted through discharge device 45, the remaining portion of resistor 59 and resistor 5I. The anodes 41 of the two discharge devices are therefore at susbtantially the same potential. However, when the armature I I moves in one direction or the other, a potential is impressed at the terminals of the secondary 39 of the transformer 31. This potential is impressed between the control electrodes 4I and, depending upon the direction of motion of the armature II, the potential of the control electrode 4I of one of the discharge devices is positive relative to its cathode 49, while the potential of the control electrode of the other is negative relative to its control electrode at the time when the anode cathode potential impressed on the discharge devices is positive. In such a case, greater current ows through the former discharge devices than through the latter and the difference of potential between the tap (i3 and the anode 41 of the first discharge device is greater than the potential difference between the tap 63 and the anode of the second discharge device. The anodes 41 are, therefore, at diferent potentials.

To further amplify the effect attained, an additional pair of discharge devices 11 and 19 are provided. 'Ihe discharge devices 11 and 19 are connected precisely in the same manner as the pair just discussed. The control electrodes 8| of the last-mentioned discharge devices 11 and 19 are connected each `to an anode 41 of the firstmentioned discharge devices 43 and 45. Accordingly, when the armature II is moved from its equilibrium position a difference of potential is impressed between the control electrodes 8i of the last-mentioned discharge devices 11 and 19 and a difference of potential exists between their anodes 83.

The dierence of potential thus derived from the movement of the armature I I is impressed between a pair of conductors and 81. To convert this difference of potential into a compensating eiect, a motion receiving system similar to the motion transmitting system discussed above, is provided.

The motion receiving system comprises a pair of coils 88 and 89 each of which is connected between the conductors 85 and 81, through half wave rectiiiers 9| and 93 The rectiiiers 9I and 93 may be ordinary dry rectiers of the copper-copperoXide type and they are so connected to the coils 88 that current of one polarity is permitted to pass through one coil 89 and current of the opposite polarity is restrained while current of the last-mentioned polarity is permitted to pass through the other coil 89 and current of the rstmentioned polarity is restrained. The inductance coils 88 and 89 are each provided with cores 95 and 91 of the same structure as those associated with the diaphragm 5 and, in addition, an armature 89 is disposed between the cores in the same manner as the transmitting armature il is disposed between its associated cores I5 and I1.

When a potential of one polarity or the otlieris impressed between the conductors 85 and 81, current flows through one coil 85 or the other 85, magnetizing the associated core 95 or 91 and causing the armature 99 to move in one direction or the other. The armature 99 is pivotally supported at one end ISI and at the other end carries a lever E33 which, in turn, is coupled through a spring to a resiliently supported jet pipe 181. As the armature 99 moves, the pipe 51 is pivoted and the flow of iiuid is so varied as to compensate for the deviations in pressure.

Although I have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many modications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a transmitting network having a pair of coils, core means associated with each coil and armature means associated with said core means, said core and armature means being so disposed relative to each other that the movement of said armature means in one sense produces an increase in the reactance of one coil and a decrease in the reactance of the other coil and a movement of said armature in the opposite sense produces an increase in the reactance of said last-mentioned coil and a decrease in the reactance of said inst-mentioned coil, a pair of terminals, means for producing a difference of potential between said terminal in response to a variation of the reactance of said coils, the polarity of said difference of potential depending on the sense of the movement of said armature means, an additional-pair of coils, additional core means associated with each said additional coil and additional armature means associated with said additional core means, said additional core and armature means being so disposed relative to each other that current iow in one of said additional coils produces movement of said additional armature means in one sense and current flow in the other of said additional coil produ-ces movement of said additional armature means in the opposite sense and means for connecting each of said additional coils across said terminals, said connecting means including means for restraining the passage of current of one polarity through one of said additional coils and for restraining the passage of current of the opposite polarity through the other of said additional coils.

2. In combination, a source of periodic current having a pair of terminal .taps and an intermediate tap, a pair of coil-s connected in series with each other and to the terminals of the source, core means associated with each coil and armature means associated with said core means, said core and armature means being so disposed that the movement of said armature means in one direction causes an increase in the reactance of one of said coils and a decrease in the rea-cte ance of the other of said coils and movement of said armature means in the opposite direction causes an increase in the reactance of said lastmentioned coil and decrease in the reactance of said first-mentioned coil and output circuit means connected between said intermediate tap and said junction point of said coils.

3. In combination, a source of periodic cure rent having a pair of terminal taps and an intermediate tap, a pair of coils connected in series with each other and to the terminals oi the source, core means associated with each coil and armature means associated with said core means, said core and armature means being so disposed that the movement of said armature means in one direction causes an increase in the reactance of one of said coils and a decrease in the reactance of the other of said coils and movement oi said armature means in the opposite direction causes an increase in the reactance of said lastmentioned coil and decrease in the reactance of said rst-mentioned coil and output circuit means connected between said intermediate tap and said junction point of said coils, said output circuit means comprising a pair of current paths each of which includes in eiect a discharge path having an anode, a cathode Cil and,` a control electrode, means for impressing a potential derived from said source between the anodes and the cathodes of the discharge paths and means for impressing between the control electrodes of the discharge paths a potential dependent in polarity on the direction of movement of said armature.

4. In combination, a transmitting electrical network having a pair of electrical coils, magnetic core means associated with each coil and magnetic armature means associated with said core means, said core and armature means being so disposed relative to each other that the movement of said armature means in one sense produces an increase in the reactance of one coil and a decrease in the reactance of the other coil and a movement of said armature in the opposite sense produces an increase in the reactance of said last-mentioned coil and a decrease in the reactance of said first-mentioned coil, a receiving electrical network including a pair of electrical coils, magnetic core means associated with each coil and armature means associated with said core means, said core and armature means being so disposed relative to each other that current ilow in one coil produces movement of said armature means in one sense and current flow in the other coil produces movement of said armature means in the opposite sense and means responsive to the variations of the impedance of the coils in said transmitting network for causing current to iiow in said receiving network, said last named means including ai plurality of electric discharge devices each having a plurality of principal electrodes and a control electrode, means for impressing potential between the said principal electrodes and means including the coils of said transmitting network for impressing potential on the control electrodes of said clischarge devices.

FINN H. GULLIKSEN. 

